Ear shield or protector.



F. K.- SCHUH-MEER.

EAR :SHIELD ,0R PROTECTOR;

APPLICATION .FlLEU MAY'STSJ'Z.

Patented Feb. 5, 1918.

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To all whom'et may'f-eoaccrn: Be it lmownl.-tliatijl ,"FaANcns K. ScHU'a- Meren, a citizen of-the' United States, resid-` ing at St. Paul, in the county of Ramsey and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and 'useful Improvements in Far Shields orBrotectors, of which the following is a specicaftion.

rl`hisinvention relates to an ear shield or protector designed for application to thehuman ear for the purpose of preventing the entrance of water thereto, the ..primary object of the invention being to provide a device of this character which may be worn during the operation of shampooing the hair" or by a bather to prevent the entrance of water to the ear, whereby liability ot injury .tothe ear may be avoided.

A further Object of the invention is to provide a shieldor protector ot the character described which may be simply and economically made from a water proof subdill stance, such' as sheet rubber, and which may be applied and removed with ease and convenience.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of the features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts, hereinafter fully described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, in which Figure l is an outer side view showing the mode of use of one of the shields.

Fig. 2 is an inner side or face view of the shield removed.

Fig. 3 is a sectional .view through the l shield taken on the line 3--3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing a slight modification.

Fig. 5 is a plan view ot the blank trom which the shield is made.

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lin carrying my inventionA into practice, ll provide a shield 1 madevof thin sheet or tissuerubber or some other suitable water proof material. This shield is of a shape or conformation adapted to snugly tit and in- Y close the eamasf'showm in Fig. 1, and capable, if desired, of beingslightly expanded or,

distended and adapted to be applied to ears varying to certain degrees in size, and to gently grip the ear by its contractile energy g to assist, in holding it in position.

The shield .having these characteristicsl comprises a sack ofthe general form defined composed ot front and rear or outer and.

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. a s e .1 a :an on' rnorncfron f Patented Fleta7 d, timide inner Walls 2 and 3, said walls bein tree from connection at the contracted portion ot thev sack to form a mouth or entrance passage 4, whereby it is adapted to be applied and removed. The outer or front wall 2 is sof,

provided with a tapered portion 5 projecting beyond the line of the mouth to cover the troni; portion of the ear between and in the region of the tragus, while the rear wall 3 isxprovided along the region of the mouth 4: with a curved or segmental recess 6 to conform to the shape of the inner edge of the .ear and lit snugly about the same. rl`his re- .'cess 6 terminates short of the ends ot' the sack leaving tabs or projections 7 at the ends of the recess which extend in front and rear 4oit' the ear and adapting the sack to be fitted .fully down upon the same.

means may be provided to hold said eXtenv sion in position upon the cheek. To this end the inner face -of said extension may be provided with a securing coating 9 of rubber cement or other suitable water proof cement which will adhere to the cheek and thus secure the extension in position and hold the slhieldfinl place against any possibility ot dislocatiej-irv or displacement lin Fig. 4 lt have shown a modified form of securing means consisting ot a fastening strip 10 coated with rubber skin or other suitable adhesive mate'- rial and which is adapted to serve the same purpose as the cement coating 9.

ln order -to secure ease and economy ot manufacture, as well as to enable the device to be conveniently formed into proper shape,

out initiallv in the form of a blank such as v ,l shown in Fig. 5. This blank is in general "dit substantially oval form, the end edges being cut inwardly on curved lines to form .recesses ll. while the body of the blank is `formed with a curved slit 12 producing the lcurved marginal edge 6 ot the wall 3 and the extension 8 ot thewall 2, said slit exlg etats ends to pointe inwardly et lll@ l and in line with the recesses 11, so as to produce the tabs 7 in the production of the complete article. The article is then formed or completed by folding the portions 2 and 3 of the blank along the medial portions formed by the arts 7, as indicated by the dotted lines in ig. 5, so as to dispose the walls 2 and 3 in parallel relation, the outer marginal edges of said walls being then united by a line of stitching 13, or by other suitable means. When the portions 2 and 3 are thus folded over upon one another the opposed Walls of the slit 12 will form the curved receding edge of the Wall 3 and the extension 8 of the Wall 2, as will be readil understood. By this mode of cons'tructlon a shield of neat and attractive appearance, adapted to snugly and comfortably lit the ear, and which is water, dust and insect proof, may be conveniently and economically made.

The device is particularly adapted for use in beauty parlors, barber shops and like establishments, whereby the ears may be covered and protected against the access of water, particles of hair or other foreign substances during the operation of shampooing, hair cuttlng, and other like toilet manipulations, thus avoiding discomfort `to the customer or patient as well as all troubles or diseases of the ear liable to be caused by the entrance of foreign substances. The shield may also be used by bathers to protect the ears from the entrance of water and obviate danger of injury to the ear drum.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. An ear shield orprotector for the purposes described, comprising a sack of water proof elastic tissue to inclose and cover the ear, and having a portion to extend beyond the lobule of the ear and over upon the cheek of the wearer, said portion being adapted for attachment to the cheek of the wearer.

2. An ear shield or protector comprising a sack of water proof material adapted to be fitted upon and inclose the ear, and having a portion adaptedv for attachment to the cheek of the wearer.

3. An ear shield or protector comprising a'sack of elastic water proof material adapted to be fitted upon the ear to cover and inclose the same, and provided with means of attachment to the cheek of the wearer.

4. An ear Shield or .protector comprising axsack of water proof material ada ted to inclose and cover the ear, said sac being provided on its outer side with an extension to project beyond' the opening of the ear and over upon the cheek of the wearer.

5. An ear shield or rotector comprising a sack conforming in s ape to the external ear and adapted to be fitted upon the same, said sack embodying an outer wall and an inner wall, the inner wall having a curved marginal portion to lit the inner ridge of the ear and the outer wall having an extension beyond said marginal portion to project beyond the opening of the ear over upon the cheek of the wearer.

6. An ear shield or protector comprising a sack of water proof material having a mou'th or openin at one side and adapted to be fitted upon t e ear to inclose and cover the same, sald sack having an inner wall provided with a curved margin at one side of the mouth and an outer wall provided with a lobular extension beyond said mouth, said extension being provided with means for attachment to the cheek of the wearer.

7. An ear shield or protector comprising a sack-like body of elastic water proof material, said sack-like body having a mouth portion and embodying inner and outer walls, the outer wall having an extension beyond the mouth portion to cover the opening of the ear and to extend over upon the cheek .of the wearer.

8. The herein described method of making an ear shield or protector of the character described, which consists in cutting out a blank from Water proof sheet material, said blank being of approximately oval form and having inwardly recesses and an arcuate slit formed at one side of the longitudinal center of the blank and having its terminals in line with said recesses, folding the blank centrally on a longitudinal line intersecting said recesses,

ld 1then uniting the marginal edges of the In testimony whereof I- aflix my signa;

ture.

FRANCES K. SCHURMEIER.

extending end' 

